Minister Luc Fortin Announces Free Access to Subsidized Day-Care Services for Children From Disadvantaged Areas as of August 1, 2018

Entry into force of a regulation to modify the Reduced Contribution Regulation.

QUEBEC, July 18, 2018 – Mr. Luc Fortin, Minister of Families, announced the entry into force of the Regulation to modify the Reduced Contribution Regulation as of July 19, 2018. The modification to the Regulation will provide children from underprivileged areas with free access to subsidized educational day care services five days a week as of August 1, 2018. In addition, the modification will allow parents who are recipients of last resort financial assistance benefits and parents participating in the Aim for Employment Program, which falls under the Ministries of Labour, and Employment and Social Solidarity, as well as parents receiving benefits from the Income Security Program for Cree hunters and trappers, the opportunity to benefit from free access to these services for an increased number of days. The measure will be valid in subsidized childcare and day care centres, as well as among recognized home childcare providers with subsidized spaces.

Since 1997, the Reduced Contribution Regulation has provided parents who received last resort financial assistance with free subsidized day care services for up to 2.5 days per week, per child, or more according to recommendations made by a health and social services network case worker.

On March 26, the Minister of Families, Luc Fortin announced that as of August 2018 children from underprivileged areas could attend quality educational day care centres five days a week free of charge, without parents requiring a recommendation to that effect. The measure is part of the 2017–2023 Government Action Plan to Foster Economic Inclusion and Social Participation.

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This is an important achievement which underscores our government’s commitment to educational childcare services. This measure shows our determination to act early on to promote equality of chances for all children, by providing the most underprivileged to with access to quality educational child care services five days a week. They will therefore be better prepared for their transition into school and will have every opportunity to completely develop their full potential.

– Luc Fortin, Minister of Families

I am happy that our government has put everything into place to improve access to subsidized day care services for children from underprivileged areas. They will have the opportunity to take part in enriching educational activities which will prepare them for school. This measure, which is part of the 2017–2023 Government Action Plan to Foster Economic Inclusion and Social Participation, which I made public in December of 2017, aims to concretely support low-income families.

– François Blais, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity

Related links

• Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity–2017–2023 Government Action Plan to Foster Economic Inclusion and Social Participation
  https://www.mtess.gouv.qc.ca/publications/pdf/ADMIN_plan_action_2017-2023_en.pdf